A Different Story
by 1bluesapphire
Summary: I hated it when they killed off Irina Spasky, she was and still is my favourite character. So I have re-written the last part of the second-to-last chapter of In Too Deep. I'll carry on until the end of Into The Gauntlet. I have also written a story called "Allies in the Oddest Places." Read that one, as well. It's quite good, and I'm proud of it.
1. Chapter 1

A Different Story

Chapter 1- A Spray of Water

**When Amy Cahill looked down, she could see the construction debris. There were twisted coils of wire, concrete, nails, and tangles of rusty rebar. Amy knew that, even if they could survive the jump, they'd be in hospital, because their skin would have been impaled. Worse yet, there was no kind of help to get them down safely. **

"**I'll jump," her uncle, Alistair said suddenly, which shocked her. **

"**Don't be stupid, you'd never survive a jump from that height!" She cried, looking aghast that her uncle would suggest such a thing.**

**Her uncle smiled. "My dear niece, I would do anything to save you and your brother. You are much younger than I, and you both deserve a long life."**

**Alistair then braced himself against the wall, looking for a place to safely land. There wasn't one.**

**He was about to jump, when a voice below called out, "Don't be so stupid, Alistair!"**

**The voice was harsh, and clearly **_**Russian. **_

**Amy gasped, as she spotted Irina Spasky, of all people, running below them, with a pole in her hand. As Amy, Dan, and Alistair watched in astonishment, she dug the pole into the ground, making a spectacular vault up to the roof.**

**She landed above them, and slid the pole down to them. **

"**What is the word?" She called to them, and Dan called back, "Shimmy."**

"**Ah yes, shimmy down the pole, but one at a time, because it isn't very strong pole."**

**Amy was so surprised, she gaped. Here was her worst enemy, a woman she feared, doing her best to save their lives!**

_**Wow, **_**she thought, **_**people really can and do change.**_

"**Can we trust her, though?" Alistair asked.**

**Amy looked up at her cousin's intent face, and replied, "Yes, we can."**

**Dan, grabbing a hold of the pole, slid down safely, and Amy breathed a sigh of relief.**

"**Amy, you go next." Alistair said to her, and Amy grabbed the pole, which felt hot against her skin. She slid down, and reached the ground, just as Alistair slid down himself. **

**They were just about to hold the pole steady so Irina could slide down, but it suddenly caught on fire, forcing them to drop it.**

"**Hurry!" Amy called to the other two, and they all hurried off to find something to save Irina. **

**High above them, Irina watched them intently, reflecting on her life and struggled to keep her mind clear. Lost in thought, she didn't hear the fire engines below her, until she was sprayed in the face with cold water.**

**Confused, she looked down, and saw four fire fighters attending to the massive blaze.**

**She then realised that she wasn't ready to let go of life. She wanted to finish the clue contest, and so, she called out for help.**

**The fire fighters, who were tackling the blaze, heard her cry, and then raised a ladder to the top of the roof, so that she could climb down. **

**When she was safely on the ground, Amy ran over to her, and gave her a hug. "Thank you," she cried, and Irina smiled, and for the first time ever, hugged the young girl back.  
**


	2. A Confession

Chapter 2- A Confession

As Amy, Dan, and Irina sat together on the Java beach, looking out at the calm tropical waters, Amy turned to the ex KGB spy, and asked, "Why did you save us last night?"

Amy's throat still felt scratchy, and she had drunk at least four glasses of fresh water at the small seaside café in which they had had breakfast.

Irina smiled; showing slightly discoloured teeth, and said, "I wasn't going to let Isabel Kabra kill you."

Amy shuddered. Isabel Kabra. Just the mere thought, let alone mention, of her name were enough to make Amy cringe. Last night, Isabel had tried to kill her, Dan, and Uncle Alistair, and would have succeeded if it wasn't for Irina's quick acting, and a fantastic pole vault.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Dan.

"Hey, Irina, do you think you could teach me how to pole vault?"

Irina stared at him in surprise. "It's not easy thing, you know. I've been doing it for over half of my life."

Dan shrugged, and said, "I'll just leave it to you, then."

Amy nodded in agreement, but part of Irina's words sank in. _Half of my life._ That was how long she'd been keeping the murder of her parents from her brother. When he had found out from Irina, he had been furious with her, and even avoided speaking to her if possible.

Amy knew that, without Dan, she couldn't really face anything, and she knew that she had to tell Dan why she hadn't told him about the murder of their parents.

"Er, Dan?" She said, hesitantly.

Dan glanced at her, noticing her somewhat scared expression, and said "Yeah?"

"There's a reason why I didn't tell you about Mom and Dad being murdered. It wasn't because I didn't trust you; it was because I remembered something I did. I didn't want you to know, I didn't want you to blame me."

Dan shot her a questioning look, and Irina asked, "How could he possibly blame you?"

"Well, the night of the fire, I was still awake when the strangers came. I could hear them downstairs, and I sort of eavesdropped. They were asking Mom and Dad over and over where they went, and I was scared. I went in, but it wasn't Mom who picked me up, it was Isabel."

"You have excellent memory, Amy." Irina said, quite pleased by that. "You'd make a great Lucian."

Amy weakly chuckled, but then she said, "Isabel talked about the teddy bears on my night-gown, and I corrected her by saying they were koalas. When I said that, everyone worked it out."

Dan, still not quite following her, said, "Worked out what?"

Even Irina was puzzled, and she had been there.

"They then knew that Mom and Dad had gone to Australia in search of Robert Cahill Henderson, and they must have figured that they brought something back. Because later that night, Isabel said, _they traced him to Australia, didn't they? This has to ta_ken _care of tonight_."

"Do you think they brought something back, and that's what they were looking for?" Dan said, wondering she thought he would blame her.

"What do you do when your house is on fire?" Amy asked.

"You run for the most valuable thing." Dan and Irina said together.

Then Irina added, "So your mother ran for you two children, and your father ran for whatever it was."

Amy nodded. When she spoke again, her voice wasn't as steady.

"Maybe someone set the fire so they could see what happened. Maybe something went wrong. But I do know that the fire wouldn't have been set if I hadn't briefly turned into Hermione Granger, being such a know-it-all!"

With that, Amy buried her face in her hands, and started to bawl with shame and guilt. She could cry out her grief, but it would just keep coming back, and never go away.

Dan knew that it wasn't Amy's fault, but felt like his sister needed an adult to tell her that. And that's what Irina did.

She spoke sharply to Amy, and snapped, "Do you honestly think that, just because you had koalas on your nightgown, your parents were murdered?"

Amy half-nodded and Irina gently lifted the girls chin.

"Look at me, Amelia Hope Cahill," she ordered, and Amy's jade green eyes met her Arctic blue ones. "You are NOT responsible for the death of your parents. You did NOT light that match. Just because you said koalas, you did not change anything. All of that lies in the hands of your parents' killer."

The scorn in her voice took away the young girls fear, and she had become stronger. Amy then smiled slightly; if neither Irina nor her brother thought she wasn't to blame, maybe she wasn't.

"Irina, you asked me why Mom went back inside. Was it just for Dad? I mean, what could be more important than your own children?"

Irina stiffened slightly, but it was Dan who answered, "The fate of the world", in a joking sort of way. Amy nodded. "The fate of world."

Now I'm really sorry to stop here, but it's getting really long. So, when I update next, I shall finish the chapter. Hope you like the changes I've made.


	3. Chapter 3

This chapter is dedicated to all of you who have reviewed this story, and especially OnceUponABrokenRegal, who said that they would die if I didn't update fairly soon.

Enjoy!

Part 3

The trio sat silently on the beach, looking out on the horizon as the rising sun turned the sky an orangey-pinkie colour.

It was Dan who broke the silence, saying, "I reckon Mom and Dad were looking for that poem."

Amy nodded, and said, "Alistair stole it. It makes sense now. Last night I remember him standing by the fireplace. And that night, while everyone else was looking at me, he was looking at the books."

Once again, Irina couldn't help but marvel at the girl's memory: it truly was impressive.

"I'll bet that's where they hid the poem," said Dan, looking downcast.

"I bet Mom and Dad thought that the poem could lead them to many clues. And yet, they sacrificed themselves for it."

Then Amy turned to Irina. She had thought of something, and now said, "It wasn't you who murdered my parents, it was Isabel."

Irina stared at Amy, impressed. "How did you work that out?" She asked.

"Well, for one thing, _Isabel _was the one who tried to burn us alive last night, not you."

Irina smiled at Amy, Dan saying, "Oh great, a girly moment," and pretending to gag.

Irina and Amy both smacked him on the back of the head, and Dan, wincing, said," If Alistair was there that night; he could have in on the plan to start the fire."

Amy smacked him again, hissing, "How dare you say something like that?"

"Well, he could've been. I mean, just yesterday he told you that so much is at stake, it's ok to be ruthless." Dan said, casting a sideways glance at Irina as he spoke.

"If only we could work out the meaning of the poem." Amy said wistfully.

"Maybe, I can help you, if you have the poem." Irina said, and Amy shook her head.

"No, we don't have the poem." She said sadly, but she was interrupted by Dan, who said, "I've got a wonderful memory, and I remember the poem," in a sing-song sort of voice.

So saying, he began to read to the poem from his memory:

Far from home I set up my endeavour

Risked all - love, even life, to sever

If need be. Yet with all I had

The Clues given, brain nearly mad

With knowledge gained and lost and gained again

With chance and right to rule all men

I failed. By merely one, cruel fate

Left for me to calculate.

The very waves sang the song I knew

Though I knew it not. Merely rue.

One morn despair to me befell

In a fit I could not dispel

To have come so far and risked it all

To try, to fail, to fall.

I threw myself upon the strand

This exile I could scarce with stand

And yet then at the blackest hour

There, as in Newton's bower

The answer thundered down.

The price? A sodden crown.

Reward? Ah, 'tis merely this:

End and answer, elixir, bliss."

Irina stared at Dan in amazement, who was now staring out to sea, frowning, before suddenly bursting into a mighty guffaw, making Amy jump, and Irina look puzzled.

"Have you gone troppo, or something?" Amy asked him.

"Amy, have you ever noticed that when you're reading something, you have to occasionally read between the lines?" Dan asked, his jade green eyes dancing with happiness.

"Well yeah, but I don't entirely see your point." She said, confused.

"I'm talking about the poem. Look, the dude is feeling rather bummed out whilst he's sitting on the beach, and it starts to rain. And of course, the rain falls on his head." Dan said, and Amy rolled her eyes, saying, "A five-year-old could have guessed that."

"Well, yeah, but it also makes him think. _The waves sang the very song I knew._ What's the one thing he keeps talking about?"

Amy looked blank, but Irina answered, "Water."

Dan nodded, and Amy looked surprised. "Water? Could it really be that simple?" She said, feeling both elated and annoyed at the same time.

"Yeah, it is that simple, which is why he was both pleased and annoyed with himself at the same time, and so are you." Dan said, and leaned back on the sand, looking smug.

Amy frowned. "We promised to tell Alistair."

"Even though we know he was at the house that night and could have murdered our parents?" Dan asked. "I'd call that a deal breaker."

"Last night he was willing to jump off that ledge to save us," Amy said, before adding, "At least, until Irina showed up."

"Or himself," Dan said. "I say we wait until we know for sure what happened that night."

"Shhh" Amy said, because she saw Alistair heading toward them.

His face was covered in soot, but he was smiling, because the three people he cared about at the moment were alive.

There's not much left of this chapter, so I shall put it up in the next. Then, I shall be requiring some ideas on how to fit Irina Spasky into the next few books.

Ciao!


	4. Chapter 4

The End Of In Too Deep

As Alistair walked towards Amy, Dan, and Irina, Irina jumped up off the sand, dusting off her back, before stalking away without a word.

"Good morning, children." Alistair said to them, looking somewhat strange in satin pink pajamas and frowned as he noticed Irina's retreating figure, but didn't say anything.

Just as Amy was about to answer back, she heard the faint sound of a motor out beyond the reef.

"Nellie!" She screamed out and waved, as, rather frantically, Nellie waved back. She was so excited that she didn't notice that her legs were getting wet; nor did she hear Alistair coming up behind her and also started to wave at Nellie.

Amy went to stand beside Dan, who muttered something she couldn't hear.

"Sorry, what was that?" Amy asked him, and he replied, "Things are getting complicated." Amy nodded, and added, "I wish I could remember who else was there, and I can't stand not knowing."

Dan looked at his sister, scowling. "Isabel, as we know, set that fire, but we have to find out who else was there that night."

Amy chuckled, and said, "Then what? Call the Police?"

Dan shrugged. "I'll get back to you on that one, but I want vengeance for their death."

"Revenge sounds so… Cahill." Amy muttered, but Dan, who heard her, replied, "Not _revenge, _rather justice."

They looked at each other, Amy feeling the presence of her parents, and also wondering why Irina had stalked off without a word. When she told Dan this, he just rolled his eyes, and said, "She probably didn't want to spend any more time with two kids. From what I've seen, Irina hates children."

"I suppose so." Amy said, pleased that they were together again, with no more secrets between them, and there never would be again. She could see that he knew it, and behind his eyes, trust was back.

And on this sad and happy morning, standing on a tropical beach with ruins smoking behind them, and the fast moving blob that was a running Irina, Amy and Dan made a vow that they wouldn't rest until they had exposed who had murdered their parents.

They had started on the hunt for Grace's sake, now they would win it for the sake of their parents.

"Justice." Amy agreed.

AN: So that's the end of In Too Deep, and all the characters will be back. However, how should I fit Irina into the next few books?


	5. Chapter 5

Waiting for Nellie

The morning of the fire, Amy and Dan Cahill were waiting for their au pair, Nellie, and in somewhat odd circumstances.

Amy had to admit that it was the oddest and strangest morning she had ever had. Firstly, black "snow" was falling, her brother was being an idiot, as usual, by meowing like a cat, her uncle Alistair was wearing pink satin pajamas, and her Russian cousin, Irina, was running towards her, with a bag of apples.

Amy had to stifle a laugh as she saw this last strange thing, wondering what on earth Irina was doing with a bag of apples.

_Maybe she's hungry,_ Amy thought, and caught one in her hand as Irina threw one to her.

Amy then looked out to sea, as Nellie, who was nearly at the docks, began screaming and pointing at something behind her.

"Stupid Americans, can't you ever say what's on your mind?" Amy heard Irina snap angrily, and she had to smile faintly.

_Well, at least the old Irina's back, _Amy thought happily, but her thoughts were interrupted by Dan, who was still meowing.

"What on earth are you doing, apart from being an idiot?" Amy asked him, almost coldly.

Dan frowned at her. "You were clearly in that tunnel with Irina far too long, you've adopted her attitude. But, if you really want to know, I'm imitating an Egyptian Mau, because if Saladin hears me, he'll come out on deck, and we'll see him."

He gave her an exasperated look, as if his idea was supposed to be obvious.

Amy scowled at him, and wiped her hand across her face. When she looked at it, it now had a black streak of ash.

Amy looked from her hand to Irina, and then she thought of something strange.

Yesterday, if you'd asked Amy to list the Predictions Least Likely Ever to Come True in a Million Years, right up there with _the world will turn into cheese and my_ _brother Dan will say he loves me,_ would have been this:

_Irina Spasky will save our lives._

It was so unlike Irina to do anything nice, when she had tried on several occasions to kill them. Yet, last night, she had pole vaulted up to their roof, and had held the pole steady, so they could slide to safety. Then, thanks to the Indonesian Fire Brigade, Irina herself had climbed down to safety.

_Why would she do that? _Amy asked herself, as, with a slight splutter, Nellie's motorboat came to a complete stop.


End file.
